Blake’s POV~

Crystalline is seated in front of me. Three times, she has tried to speak three times. I have shut her down every time! Dalton keeps sneering and my parents are silently glaring.

Her father finally arrived and was shown to my office. He came in blustering and full of false bravado. Odin came forward and demanded he sit! I spoke quietly … “Tell me, Albert. Do you know the kind of daughter you have raised? Are you aware she repeatedly spat on her mate bond? Treated it with disrespect..and disregard? Tell me what you know about your little girl?”

He spoke “A typical teenager, I assume? I’m really not understanding the question, Blake? Disregard? Disrespect the mate bond? She has been here with you since she found out you are her mate. Her mother and I have barely seen her. As a matter of fact, the last time she spoke to her mother, Crystal told her the Luna ceremony is next week, on the full moon”

Now, I’m confused…what the fuck has this girl been playing at? “None of what you just said, is accurate. She has never spent even one night here. The only evening we spent together, was to have dinner at a restaurant, so I could introduce her to my parents. There is no Luna ceremony planned for her. And now, I believe you should have your wife join us. Something is wrong here.. very wrong.. and she will need both of you.”

Within an hour.. we were all sitting here again.. Emma and Albert both look confused.. glancing at their daughter every so often. I begin to speak again “Now.. since we know Crystalline hasn’t been here.. and she hasn’t been home, maybe she would like to tell you where she has been.. what she has been up to.. these last two months?” Albert looked at her “You better start talking, girl. Obviously, you haven’t even told your mate your name is Crystal. Crystal Lynn. Not that stupid fucking made up name you contrived when you were ten! Where have you been? Who have you been with?”

When she muttered “just some friends, daddy” I slid the folder with all the pictures in it. Thirty seven photographs. Thirty five different men. I waited for them to look at them all.. then I handed them my tablet.. set to her social media. Her mother scrolled through the pages. Tears streaming. Her father looked at her and growled “You have brought shame to yourself. Your family. Your pack. Your Alpha! YOU are a whore! A lowly slut! Absolute filth! Tell me why! And I swear to the Goddess, if you say you don’t know, I will snap your neck!” She screamed “Don’t act like you care now! You never noticed me before!” He snarled back “Why should you need me to notice you? Apparently every male in the tri-state area notices you!”

I figured I better take back control. We still have a lot of baggage to unpack! “That’s enough! I didn’t call you here to expose your daughter’s promiscuity. I brought you here because of what she did night before last. Crystal! You will tell your parents what you are being accused of!” I commanded.

She took a deep breath and decided to go on the defense “I was mad at Blake because I felt a really bad.. sharp pain in my chest. I knew he had to be cheating on me. That’s what that pain means! And I was right! When I got here.. you were gone! Probably fucking your whore! So it pissed me off! And I shot up the place! So what!? Nobody died!!”

Her parents gasped. Just stared at her! I was struggling to control Odin.. I know my dad and Dalton were about to lose control of their wolves. I growled.. loud and long.. then Odin spoke “

YOU shot up the place! YOU thought we were cheating? YOU whore! Thought we were cheating?? That pain you felt?! Was the mate bond being broken! Because of YOU! YOU shot up the place? But nobody died??? I nearly lost my Beta.. my Best Friend… My BROTHER!! Because YOU shot him! My mother could have died! A fractured skull! A shattered orbital… a cracked cheekbone. Because YOU pistol whipped her! My father!? My father had a bullet lodged an inch from his heart! My FATHER died! My father!? My father had a bullet lodged in his lung! MY father DIED.. again! The Goddess put a healer in our path or this conversation would be going in a whole different direction! Nobody died??? My father did! TWICE!

So… tell us, Crystal?! Where do you think this is going?”

Again, this bitch shrugs “How was I supposed to know that? YOU locked me in the cells!” And her father slapped her so hard she fell out of the chair. Albert looked at me “What can I do? Tell me what I can say? There’s nothing that will make up for this. And we both know if we go to war, you will win. I don’t want my people harmed, Blake. I will abdicate my title. You can have my pack”

“Albert.. I do not want your pack! You keep your title! Crystal is a grown woman! Fully aware of her actions. The Monarchy is aware of this heinous crime.. I was with them when news of the attack came down. Royal Guard will be here within the hour and she will be transported to the kingdom to await trial. She will be provided legal representation.. unless you wish to hire a private attorney for her. But, she will be held over for trial. Her most serious charge will be attempted murder of a member of the Royal family. My father is still the King’s uncle and your daughter didn’t seem to care” She gasped and started begging “Daddy! I’m being railroaded.. Daddy, I’m sorry.. don’t let them do this”

And Albert said “My paperwork disclaiming this woman as any part of my immediate family will be filed with the kingdom before she reaches there! She is disowned.. disavowed and excommunicated. From the family.. and from the pack. My mate and I will take our leave. I need to get ahead of this and run damage control” He stood and shook my hand, apologizing profusely and I shook my head. “The fault is not yours! The blame does not lie with you! Nothing need change between us! We are allies.. that hasn’t altered in any way!”

I found my mate in our room.. Matthew was with my parents, so I took advantage of our alone time…and made out passionately with her for an hour! We plan on mating and marking soon. The situation is too precarious to wait for the Harvest Moon.. Screw tradition! I just want her to be mine! And I love her so much!

Everything had settled down.. finally a moment of peace. And the most delicious smells pouring from the kitchen has everyone’s mouths watering. I walk up behind my mate and asked “Are you trying to kill all of us? What is that delicious smell?” She laughs “Beef bourguigon with roasted garlic potatoes and crusty french bread. I thought with everything that’s happened.. the pack could use a comfort meal.. A simple lemon meringue cheesecake mousse for dessert. Citrus always cleanses the palate after a heavy broth” And… I just nod.. because I have absolutely no idea what she just told me. I just know it’s going to taste amazing!

I sit down at the table and Dalton asks me what she told me we are having and I repeated what I had learned… to the best of my ability “Beef Bougie something with potatoes and old crusty bread with a lemon mousse cheesecake something because citrus cleans our tongues!” And Dalton mutters “Well.. that sounds horrible!”